Benny's Boy
by Takarifan101
Summary: [Sequel to Benny's Baby] Following a nasty break up both Benny and Erica agree that a life together and having a son was never meant to be. When an urgent message from Ethan and Sarah arrives requesting their immediate presence in London the two are forced to aside their differences when they run into someone who not only can't exist, but shouldn't. Erica/Benny Ethan/Sarah
1. The Unplanned Vacation

Summary: [Sequel to Benny's Baby] Following a nasty break up both Benny and Erica agree that a life together for them impossible, and that having a son was never meant to be. But when an urgent message from Ethan and Sarah arrives requesting their immediate presence in London the two are forced to aside their differences when they run into someone who not only can't exist, but shouldn't.

A/N: This story has been in production for a while now, in fact the moment I finish Benny's Baby I wanted to write it but decided to dwell on the idea for a little longer before it really clicked. Anyway I give you a true and blue sequel to 'Benny's Baby'. I hope you all enjoy it as much as the first one, because I certainly enjoyed writing it! Don't forget to leave a review, and if you have any questions send me a pm! Without further ado here it is!

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Benny's Boy

By Takarifan101

Chapter One: The Unplanned Vacation

Ethan ran hand in hand with Sarah down the darkened street using both the moonlight and street lamps to navigate. Though he could no longer see their pursuers, he could still sense the animatistic anger, hatred, and malice that made them. A long piercing screech filled the air, and he immediately clapped his hands over his ears. He looked up and caught Sarah doing the same. From all around windows exploded outwards spraying glass in every possible direction. Ethan quickly pulled Sarah into his arms and covered her from the cascade of debris as it showered down from above.

That noise, everything always came back to that horrible inhumane noise.

No matter how hard Ethan had tried he couldn't block it out, it was impossible to block it out. He gripped Sarah's hand tightly and once again resumed their futile escape attempt. They rounded the corner and he motioned for her to stop.

"What?" Managed Sarah as she panted. "We-"

"Listen," said Ethan as he held a finger to his mouth. Apart from their own labored breathing he heard little to nothing else. He looked into her eyes and in the light of the full moon noticed for the first time how exhausted she looked. "Are you ok?"

Sarah shivered as she nodded in response. With adrenaline rushing through his system Ethan had forgotten how cold it could get out at night, he pulled off his jacket and handed it to her. With a smile she took it gratefully.

"Do you think we lost them?" Asked Sarah as she fastened the coat around her shoulders. "It's not like them to just stop."

"I don't know, but we need to-" Before he could finish a shadow passed overhead. Together they looked up and felt their hearts sink. High above the creatures were circling around, staring down with large un-blinking milky white eyes. "Damn it."

Without a second thought Ethan grabbed Sarah by the arm and pulled her further down the street. Little by little he slowed as the dark realization that they were surrounded began to sink in. The monsters were crawling on the buildings, flying in the air, walking through alleyways, all exits covered, all chances for escape gone. They had been waiting, waiting for them, waiting for their prey.

The horrible screeching resumed. Back to back with Sarah, Ethan took in the sight, and sighed. It was time for them to make their stand. A few days ago these creatures had been on the verge of complete and total destruction, and now here they were an entire swarm ready to close in around them.

"Ethan," whispered Sarah as she looked over her shoulder at him. "You have to do it, there's no other choice."

"I know," responded Ethan as the creatures got closer and closer. She squeezed his hand reassuringly. "I didn't want to get them involved in this, but we need help."

He pulled out his cell phone and looked at her, she nodded. Sensing that something was about to happen the monsters surged forward. Sarah gave Ethan one last smile and closed her eyes as he held the phone up high. There was a flash of light and almost half a continent away a cell phone went off.

* * *

Benny groaned as he turned over on the sofa, he just wanted to sleep, was that really too much to ask? Besides any person who had his number would be sleeping right now; especially considering his closest friend was over a thousand miles away. He reached for his phone and when he couldn't find it gave up. After all if fate didn't want him finding his cell it couldn't have been that important. He snuggled back under the covers, and felt the welcome return of sleep. At least until someone threw open the curtains.

"Why?" Moaned Benny as he turned his back on the light. There was only one person cruel enough to wake him up before ten, and it wasn't his Grandma. "Why do you hate me so much?"

"It's nine thirty," said Erica as she placed her hands on her hips. "I'm guessing you stayed up late playing videogames again."

He moaned in response and smiled when he heard her sigh in annoyance. If there was one thing that pleased him, it was annoying Erica.

"What do you want?"

"You out of my apartment," said Erica icily.

"Ouch," groaned Benny as he sat upright on the sofa. "Last time I checked I was paying for half the rent and it was _our _apartment."

"That was only for the semester, schools out and so are you."

Benny said nothing as he stood up and stretched. He had always known Erica to be a tough and commanding woman, but following their breakup those unique personality traits had de-escalated into just plain rude and mean. Every now and then the cold exterior would melt or crack and give way to the girl he's fallen in love with. But for every good day they spent together there would be at least three bad ones in between.

"I set up boxes for you in the corner," said Erica without looking at him. She took in a seat at their small kitchen table and opened her laptop. "Don't take anything that's mine."

"You know you can't afford rent without me," said Benny as he began to fold the blankets on the sofa. "What are you going to do next semester?"

"I'll think of something."

"Yeah because who else is going to be as understanding as me when it comes to their roommate being a vampire?"

"I'll think of something."

"What about…." She looked up at him and he knew it was going to be one of their bad days. "What about Eric?"

"What _about _Eric?"

"Nothing," sighed Benny as he dropped the subject. Sooner or later they were going to have to talk about it, and as much as he knew it hurt Erica she was going to have the face the fact their son was never coming back. A letter full of empty promises, days that were best forgotten, and a necklace that always brought it back were all that remained of their little blonde bundle of joy. "Never mind."

After a short silence between the two she whispered: "You promised."

"What?"

"You promised," said Erica as tears welled up in her eyes and rolled down her cheeks. "In that letter you promised there was a way to bring him back, and after that you said you could bring him back and… and you couldn't."

Benny was at her side in an instant; this was the first time since their break up two weeks ago that she had actually opened up, actually said something about Eric other than forget it. He squatted next to her chair and took her hands in his.

"I know it's not an excuse but I really thought I could bring him back. I didn't-"

Erica's cellphone went off, and from somewhere on the sofa Benny's rang as well. He looked into her eyes and knew that they were done talking about it. He said nothing as he got to his feet and went searching for his missing phone. After a moment he heard her squeal in delight.

"What?"

"You haven't checked your messages yet?"

"That's because I'm still trying to find my phone," said Benny annoyed at the fact his conversation with Erica about Eric had been interrupted. He reached between the cushions. "I kind of need it if I want to check my texts."

"It's from Ethan and Sarah."

That caught his attention. He hadn't seen Ethan since he left almost a year ago to study abroad, and Sarah in even longer. The younger boy had gone London to meet with the community of vampires in hopes of finding a cure, and if that had failed, to spend the rest of his days with the girl of he loved. Personally Benny hated the idea of his friend spending time with what he heard was the largest vampire coven in the world, but if Ethan could manage to find a cure…. He looked up at Erica and smiled when he felt the cold plastic of his phone. He pulled it free and let out an annoyed groan when he noticed the crack along the phone's screen.

"Did you read it yet?"

"No, but my phone cracked, must've happened when it fell into the sofa." She muttered something about keeping better track of his things and in response he rolled his eyes. He opened the flashing note and smiled.

_Long time no talk/see B, I know I've been bad at keeping in contact lately and I'm really sorry about that. Anyway we pulled a few strings out here and managed to get you and Erica some plane tickets, if you don't mind spending a week with us in London that is. Plane leaves by 11 pm your time and should land by 5 pm our time. Sorry it's last minute, but things sort of just happened. (Don't worry about hotel rooms; we have a pullout sofa at our apartment.)_

–_Ethan and Sarah_

"You got the same text?" asked Benny as he stood up. Erica nodded and held up her cell phone. It was the same message word for word; the only apparent difference was the sender and receiver. "That's really strange."

"What is?" asked Erica as she crossed her arms.

Benny shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know. I was talking with Ethan online the other day and he never mentioned this, and they know we've broken up so why invite us both together? It just seems… weird."

"You don't think something happened do you?"

"I don't know…." He noted the worried look in her eyes and felt stupid for even brining the possibility up. "Knowing E and Sarah, it's probably something they really wanted to do and completely forgot about. The only real question is do you feel up to going on vacation with me?"

She turned slightly red. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Well for starters your kicking me out of our apartment, there's no way I can be done packing and have all my things good to go before the plane leaves tonight. I want to go to London to see Ethan and Sarah just as badly as you do, but I want to go as friends not as a couple that just broke up and can't stand one another, because that's how you've been acting lately."

For a moment he thought she was going to yell or scream or something of that nature, but instead she sighed and said:

"Your right." She fidgeted around with her phone and then turned to look at him. "I-I'm sorry. The whole incident and finals and-"

Benny gave her a hug; friends could give each other hugs right? "It's been a bad month, trust me I know. But maybe this is what we need, to get away from all these problems and to see our friends again."

"Y-your not mad at me?"

"Remember how much worse it was when we went through the first time?" She nodded. "I wasn't mad at you then, and I'm not mad at you now. It's just a way of dealing with grief."

When they separated Erica looked noticeably more relieved and Benny felt more at ease. He took a seat on the sofa, opened his laptop and began typing away.

"What are you doing?" asked Erica as she peered over his shoulder. "Our flight leaves tonight shouldn't we be packing?"

"I'm checking to see if there are any hotel rooms available, it's bad enough I have to sleep on the sofa here, but if we're going on vacation then there's no way I'm spending an entire week sleeping on a couch."

"It isn't that bad."

"Easy for you to say, ever since we broke up you've been sleeping away in the bed and I've been stuck out here. If you want we can spit the cost of a hotel room, or you can spend a week being the couch girl for once."

"Hotel room works for me," said Erica without a second thought as she took a seat next to him.

* * *

Benny tossed his bag into the corner of the hotel room and then launched himself onto on of the two beds with a loud sigh. Their flights had been delayed by half an hour and instead of arriving at five they had landed at six. The flight hadn't been so bad, but spending the better part of eleven hours on a plane was enough to drive any person crazy. Especially when it was next to the person you considered the love of your life, not to mention the constant stream of memories that had kept him awake. Eric, Eric, Eric, the impossible child…. He exhaled in defeat

"Not bad for last minute reservation," said Benny trying to escape his thoughts. He watched Erica on the far side of the room. She grunted in response and placed her own luggage on the sofa.

"I still can't believe it's almost nine pm and the sun is just starting to set."

She peered out the window and opened the door to the balcony. A wave of fresh air rushed in and with the sounds of cars and pedestrians. She took a step out and excitedly claimed:

"You can totally see Big Ben from here!"

Feeling like a young kid again Benny jumped up from his bed and stepped out onto the balcony behind her. Sure enough the clock tower stood in front of them shining in the glow of the setting sun. Erica leaned forward and Benny fought against every urge to wrap his arms around her, hold her tight, and tell her everything was going to be all right. Instead he opted leaned on the railing next to her.

"When I imagined coming to London for the first time," began Erica as her hair blew lazily in the wind. "I always knew it would be with you. But I imagined there would be three of us, you, me and Eric. We'd be standing here, your arms wrapped around me watching the sun set together. He would've been five, and asking questions about visiting uncle Ethan and aunt Sarah, and if he'd ever have a brother or sister…." A tear rolled down her cheek. "I never thought our first visit to one of the most beautiful cities in the world would be as exes on vacation."

He reached out for her hand only to pull back when she flinched at his touch. Whatever she had been thinking had quickly passed. She yawned and then asked:

"Do you want to get room service, I'm starving."

"Yeah."

Benny was about to close the glass door when he noticed something moving in the alley across the street. He took a step outside and peered into the shadows of the building for a moment he could've sworn he saw something. He slid the glass door shut and locked it behind him. Whether that movement had been an actual thing or a trick of the light it had unnerved him.

Before, during and after the meal the two of them sat in silence unsure of how to talk to one another. Just one of the many things Benny had grown accustomed to since their break up. He checked his cell phone and tried to get ahold of Ethan. It didn't even ring, straight to voicemail just like before.

"Anything from Ethan?" Asked Erica as she emerged from the bathroom with a towel wrapped around her hair.

"No, his phone isn't on. I tried Sarah's and same thing. No one's picking up at their apartment either."

"I thought you said your phone was cracked."

"It is." He looked down at the perfectly reflective screen and did a double take. "I guess I was more tired than I thought this or was it yesterday morning."

"I have no idea," offered Erica with a sheepish grin. "Shower is all yours though."

He nodded and happily got into the shower. He moaned in relief when he felt the rush of warm water against his skin. The stress of the day began to slowly melt away, and he sunk to the ground feeling defeated. He felt the tears he had kept pent up mix in with the water. It wasn't fair, Eric would never come back, and now it seemed like Erica was getting farther and farther away from him. How long would it be before they were nothing but strangers with a few common memories? Strangers who happened at one point in their lives raised a child together?

When he stepped out of the bathroom he found Erica at the table typing away on her laptop an open newspaper to the left of her.

"Reading?"

"Kind of. I was checking if anything strange had happened in the past few days, doesn't look like it though. There was a pretty creepy article in the editorials about a new child's game going around called the 'Faceless Men Tag', but other than that nothing."

Benny nodded and sat on the edge of his bed, he watched as she closed the laptop and gave him her signature look.

"What?" Asked Erica as she rubbed her face. "Do I have something on my face?"

"No, I'm just happy we're at least talking now."

Before she could respond a flash of purple light filled the hotel room. Benny jumped up from his bed and thought of every attack spell he knew. He watched as Erica's eyes turned yellow and her fangs appeared. The light began to fade and standing in front of them was young teenage boy.

"Who are you?" Demanded Benny as he noted the turquoise eyes, blondish almost brown hair. He motioned for Erica to be ready for anything. "What are you doing here?"

"Dad?" Asked the boy as he looked at Benny. He turned to face Erica with the same confused look. "Mom? It's me… Eric. You know Eric Alec Weir, your son."

He gave them a smile that was uniquely Benny's before collapsing onto the floor.

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A/N: What do you think? If you want a sneek peek of an upcoming chapter let me know and dont forget to review!


	2. The Return of Eric Weir

A/N: Sorry about the delay in updating but I wanted to take my time with this. Unlike _Benny's Baby_ I've mapped out most of the story, and we are heading to what I promise will be a fantastic ending. This story consists of five 'episodes' that deal with Erica and Benny struggling to balance their supernatural lives while dealing with becoming parents once again. Each episode is about five chapters long, so I hope you stick around and enjoy the journey! Not only that but I've placed hints throughout each chapter that has to deal with the over arcing theme of what's really going on. I promise updates will be faster in the future, for now I hope you enjoy this extra long chapter! And don't forget to read the A/N at the bottom. Enjoy!

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Benny's Son

By Takarifan101

Chapter Two: The Return of Eric Weir

The moment Eric collapsed Benny's instincts kicked in and an instant later he was at the teenager's side. He gently pressed two fingers against the boy's neck and after a tense moment felt a pulse. He let out a sigh of relief and smiled; Eric was alive, unconscious maybe, but alive. Benny turned to look at Erica and gave her a reassuring smile. She tried to return it but the only visible emotions on her face were shock, confusion and worry. He scooped up Eric and gently laid him on the bed. As he did something slipped out of the teenagers pocket and clattered to the ground before rolling into the shadows.

"_It's not possible,"_ thought Benny as he looked down at boy who had called himself Eric. In the dim light of the hotel room it was hard to make out any details, but in the flash of purple energy he was sure he had seen brown hair, turquoise eyes and that smile… his smile. He leaned over and turned on the bedside lamp. When he did there was no doubt in his mind he was staring at none other than his son. Erica let out a strained laugh and collapsed into the nearest chair.

"What's so funny?" asked Benny never taking his eyes off the unconscious child.

"Only our son," said Erica trying her best to catch her breath. "Only our son would end up time traveling."

"There's no such thing as a time traveling." She stopped laughing and looked at him. "Grandma told me magic draws its powers from nature, and that the dangers of time travel would be too much of risk for breaking that connection. She also said, in theory, one paradox is all it would take for a total collapse of history. In other words it's impossible."

"If it's not time travel then where did Eric come from and why does he look like he's thirteen?"

Benny didn't know how to respond; instead he bent down to pick up whatever had fallen out of the teenager's pocket. When his fingers grazed over the mysterious objects he brought them up to the light. An old playing card and-

"My necklace," whispered Erica as she took the blue gem from Benny's hand. "This is just like the one you gave me on our anniversary a year ago…. _Memento maximum_." The gem began to glow.

_**"So this is my son," said Erica as she held Eric gently in her arms. She had taken care of babies for her entire babysitting career, and here she was suddenly scared beyond all belief. "This is the son I was never going to have."**_

_**Tears began to well up in her eyes; Benny noticed and felt tears well up in his own as well. He scooted closer to her on the sofa, and looked at the infant in her arms.**_

_**"Yeah," he whispered. "This is our son**_**."**

"It's the same necklace," said Benny in disbelief, it couldn't be possible. Everything he had ever been taught about magic was being contradicted right before his eyes. He uneasily placed the card on the table before gently lifting Eric's head.

"What are you doing?" whispered Erica as she watched him.

"If he really is a Weir, then he'll have the family birthmark. Anyone born in a family of Spellmaster's has one, and it can only be revealed by the touch of another family member."

"You never told me that," pouted Erica quietly as she crossed her arms.

"In my defense it is a family secret." Sure enough at the top of Eric's neck hidden almost underneath his hair a small blue 'W' appeared. "He's a Weir… but how?"

"I'll say it again if time travel is as impossible as you say it is, then where did he come from?"

"I don't know, but he didn't come from the future. Maybe he's a projection of what we want to see, or he was created to act like-"

"You can't honestly look at him and tell me he's not the same boy we had three years ago?"

"It's not!" reasoned Benny as he paced around the room. "Our son died three years ago because of a spell I did wrong and then when we tried to bring him back last month and couldn't I realized...whatever led to his birth the first time couldn't be duplicated... He was gone, really gone. This, whoever this it is, isn't Eric."

He sat on the edge of the bed and looked down at the ground unsure of how to put his feelings into words. Erica sat next to him and placed on a hand on his shoulder. "You can tell me what's wrong, you know that right?"

"Everything I was ever taught is being called into question right now. It's like I-I just can't-" He looked at the boy then down as his own shaking hands. "We called him the Impossible Child for a reason, and I… I'm afraid to believe. I can't do it again..."

"I understand," whispered Erica without looking at him. "I know how impossible this is, and I know you don't want to lose him again, but this is our son. I don't know how or why but this is our son. You saw his eyes, and that smile… that was your smile Benny… I'm sure of it."

Benny said nothing as his exhaustion of the last forty-eight hours came crashing down around him. He tried to stifle of yawn and failed horribly. Erica got up with a smile and gave him a sympathetic look. "Why don't you get some sleep?"

"What if he wakes up?"

"I'll stay up, you know that vampires can go days without sleep. Besides you look like you're dead on your feet right now."

"I just-"

"If he wakes up I promise I'll tell you." She gave his shoulder a gentle squeeze and Benny nodded before heading towards the sofa. She turned him to the free bed and added:

"I can be sofa girl for a night." He lay down, gave Erica a smile and was glad to see it returned. It was hard to imagine that less than twenty-four hours ago she had acted like she had hated him, heck it was hard to imagine less than twenty-four hours ago he wasn't a parent. Without a second thought he drifted to sleep.

* * *

Benny woke to the feeling of sun on his skin; he opened his eyes and found Erica fast asleep on the sofa. He smiled and let out a little snort, so much for her staying up all night. In the other bed Eric was tucked underneath the covers, his shoes and socks resting on the ground next to the night stand. The boy let a moan before turning away from the bright light of the sun. Benny grinned only to frown when he saw the duplicate necklace and old card on the table.

He picked it up and turned it over in the morning light. On one side was a sketched picture of a jester looking up at the moon, on the other a simple dark grey pattern. He turned to the jester again and examined it closely. At the top it was aptly titled: 'The Fool', with a large zero at the bottom. Why did Eric have a tarot card on him, and an old one at that. Was it possible the teenager had messed around with something supernatural, or was he following in Weir family lineage and fighting monsters?

Before he could pursue these thoughts he heard someone stirring. Absent-mindedly he put the card into his back pock and gave Erica a smile as she joined him in the small kitchen. Without looking looking at him she started the coffee maker and yawned.

"Morning," said Benny as he made a move to give her a kiss. He caught himself, and quickly turned away before she noticed. With a small flush red across his face he asked: "How did you sleep?"

"Horrible," mumbled Erica with a pout as waited for her coffee. She stretched out her back then turned to look at Benny with a dead serious expression. "I'm so sorry I made you sleep on the sofa these past few weeks. That thing was a killer on my back last night."

"It's fine," said the brunette trying his best no to laugh at her. Sweet sweet karma. "It really is."

"I can see why you wanted a hotel room so badly I fell asleep a little after two… I think. I'm not sure my internal clock is all messed up." She looked at Eric. "He still out?"

"Yeah, whatever brought him here must've drained him. I just can't believe it… we're parents… again."

"It's the again part that worries me," said Erica as she took a seat at the table. She picked up the necklace and turned it over. "He's really our son, there's no doubt about that."

"It's really him, it's really Eric Alec Weir."

"Yeah I wanted to ask you about that. When did we decide for his middle name to be Alec?"

"I might've given it to him when he was first created and never mentioned it," said Benny as he handed her a mug of coffee. "Besides it was a crazy time for both of us. How was I supposed to remember to tell you his middle name?"

"But Alec?"

"It sounds cool. I wanted it to be Luke but Ethan thought it would-"

"You are such a geek," said Erica with a smile.

"So were you," said Benny as he took a seat across from her. They locked eyes and for a moment there was a flash of what they used to be, a young in love couple. Then it vanished when Erica broke eye contact.

"He'll probably be hungry when he wakes up, I know I am. So what do you think, room service?"

"Sure," said Benny as he got up and handed her the room service menu from the previous night. "What do you think he'll like?"

"I love French toast with syrup, or maybe pancakes. I used to eat them all the time before I was bitten you know before eating was optional."

"You think so?" He looked at teenager and shook his head. "He looks more like an eggs, bacon and sausage kind of kid to me."

"Please, I know a fellow chocolate chip pancake lover anywhere."

"Chocolate chip pancakes?" asked Benny in disbelief as he looked at her. He raised his eyebrows. "You used to eat chocolate pancakes?"

"W-what?" asked Erica as turned bright red. "There's nothing wrong with that."

"I don't believe it, you always seemed too 'cool' for that kind of thing."

"Well I wasn't always cool." She turned away trying to mask her embarrassment. "Remember?"

"You were always cool to me," said Benny with a shy smile as he took the menu from her hands. "How about we just order it all and see what he likes when he gets up?"

Erica nodded and twenty minutes later there was a knock at the hotel door. Benny paid the bill and placed the three trays of food on the table. Chocolate chip pancakes, french toast, waffles, eggs, sausage, bacon, ham, a small bowl of oatmeal, and one banana, to Benny it was as if he had died and gone to breakfast heaven. He resumed his seat across from Erica and gave her a huge smile, a nod and began to dig in.

A few minutes later they heard a groan. They turned in enough time to watch Eric as he sat up in bed and yawned. He rubbed his eyes before looking at Erica and then at Benny. For a moment they were unsure if he was going to do anything, then he jumped off the bed and threw himself into Benny's arms with a huge smile across his face.

"Dad!" cried Eric as he hugged him. "I thought I was dreaming… but it's really you…."

"Eric," began Benny as he placed his hands on the boy's shoulder. He looked up at Erica who shook her head and mouthed: 'not now'. He sighed and instead said: "Yeah it's really me."

He pulled away from Benny and looked over Erica, he cast he eyes downwards and made no move to hug her. "H-hi Mom."

Erica looked at Benny confused, and in response he mouthed: 'no idea'. He lifted the boy's chin up and asked:

"What's wrong?"

"N-nothing, it's just I know you're my parents… but you don't look like how I remember them. I can tell you don't really know me."

Benny thought about it for a moment. "Well to be honest it's probably because we're younger. The last time we saw you were just a baby, and we haven't... brought… you… back yet…."

Eric looked up unconvinced. "I guess that makes sense. I remember Aunt Sarah and Uncle Ethan telling me about that. They said you had me really young, and something went wrong and I disappeared. But that you used magic to bring me back when you were older so you could take better care of me."

"Something like that," said Erica as gave him a warm smile. "It's really confusing."

Eric's stomach growled and he gave them both an embarrassed smile. Benny smirked and asked:

"Hungry?"

"Starving."

"Well then dig in," said Erica as she motioned to the empty seat and vast amount food. "We weren't sure what you liked so we kind of ordered everything on the breakfast menu."

"Chocolate chip pancakes?" asked the boy as he sat at the table. He put one on his plate and smiled. "I love chocolate chip pancakes!"

Erica raised a hand in victory and Benny couldn't help but laugh. They resumed their meals and watched from the corner of their eyes as Eric ate.

"How old are you?" asked Benny as he took a sip of his water.

"Turned thirteen a few months ago."

"What grade are you in?" asked Erica as she took a bite of her toast.

"I'm supposed to be starting ninth in the fall."

"Do you have a girlfriend?" Erica looked at Benny in disbelief, and in return he shrugged his shoulders.

"No." A small blush.

"Do you trust us?" It was Benny's turn to look at Erica in disbelief.

"Yeah."

"He's definitely got your appetite," said Erica once the last of the food was gone. "I couldn't even eat one pancake, you ate like five."

"I-I was hungry," said Eric quietly his eyes downcast again. "Sorry."

"Huh? N-no it's fine. Are you ok?"

When he said nothing Benny asked: "What's the matter?" When Eric continued to look down in silence he added: "We're going to honest with you Eric, we don't really know that much about you. Not only that but you appeared out of thin air in our hotel room last night. As abnormal as our lives can be this takes the top place. We just want to make sure everything is ok with you."

He looked up with tears in his eyes. "I-it's weird not knowing you, that's all. You don't know about calling me your Icarus, or the stories you used to tell me or what I'm like and how I grew up. I-I'm just not used to it. Parents are supposed to know their kids, not the other way around."

Erica pulled him into a hug and held him tight. "You can trust us, we only want what's best for you." He nodded and Benny asked: "Do you remember how you got here?"

"No," said Eric as he pulled away from his mom. "I can remember my life and what happened but I don't know how I got here. I'm sorry."

"Don't be," said Erica with a smile. "We're just trying to figure out how you got here so we can think of a way to get you back home."

Eric paled, and looked down sadly. Before either Benny or Erica could comment on it their cellphones went off.

"It's a message," said Benny as he held up his phone for Erica to see. "From Sarah."

Erica nodded and held up her own phone. She clicked the speaker button and together they listened to the sound of their friend's voice.

_"...box…. apartment…safe…"_

"Something about her apartment," said Erica as she tried to call Sarah. Just like before it went straight to voicemail. "Do you think we should go and check it out?"

Benny turned to look at Eric. The boy sat sadly in his chair, eyes downcast, while moving around some left over eggs.

"I think you should go check it out," said Benny honestly. When he saw the disapproval in her eyes he whispered: "With your flying you should able to get there and back within an hour."

"What about you and Eric?"

"We'll be fine. I'll take him out and get him some new clothes. There's a mall a few blocks down and I'll have my phone on me."

Erica looked at Eric then back at Benny. "I don't feel comfortable leaving you guys alone. It's not that I don't trust you but… I'm afraid of losing him again too."

"I know, but this might be a chance for me to get to know him better to see what's really bothering him. Besides if this is something magically related then who better to be with him than me?"

"Are you calling me an unfit mother?" joked Erica with a small smile.

"I would be if I wasn't so afraid of you punching me."

"Ok. But be careful, I'll call when I'm on the way back." She hesitated and Benny was sure for a moment she was going to say something else. Instead she gave his hand a squeeze and headed for the bathroom. When she emerged she was fully dressed for the day. She walked over to Eric and placed a kiss on his cheek and received a shy smile from the boy.

"I'll be back in a few hours, keep him," she motioned to Benny. "Out of trouble."

"I'll try Mom."

When she was gone Benny clapped his hands together. "Come on we got plans today too."

"We do?"

"Yeah we're heading to the nearest mall and getting you some new affordable clothes." Eric looked down at his worn shirt, shoes and pants before nodding.

Ten minutes later they were moving through the busy streets of London enjoying the sights of the city around them. For the most part they walked in silence, it wasn't until they began trying on new shoes that Eric spoke.

"These are perfect,"said Eric as he looked down to examine his new shoes.

"Are you sure?" asked Benny as he watched his son stand up and then walk up and down the aisle. "Because the ones you were wearing are almost completely worn out, and I want to make sure you feel-"

He gave Benny a hug. "I like them a lot. Thanks Dad."

"You're welcome," said Benny unsure of how to return the affection. He wasn't used to being a dad, let alone one to a thirteen year old boy. He patted Eric on the head and together the two of them walked towards the clothing section.

Eric picked out a handful of shirts, pants and shorts, and when they saw the dressing room line Benny laughed. "Let's just buy these and what doesn't fit we can return later."

"Yup." Said Eric without a second thought. They passed by an old out of place arcade game when Eric suddenly stopped. He peered at the cracked screen and smiled. "I haven't played one of these in forever."

"I'm a pro," said Benny as he slipped a bill into the machine. It started up and he took the first joystick. Eric took the second and they began to play. During their game Benny caught the boy throwing glances his way, a mixture of happiness and worry written all over his face. When Eric's last ship exploded they took a step back both laughing.

"I thought you said you were a pro," laughed Eric with a huge smile.

"I lied," said Benny catching his breath. "I'm terrible at arcade games, get me an X-game controller and I can so win."

"Surrreee you could."

"But hey we made the top three! Seconds better than nothing. This E.I.W must be one heck of player."

"I could've played ten times better if it wasn't for the crack on the screen."

"That sounds like something your Mom would say."

Eric stopped smiling and looked directly into his eyes the earlier happiness gone from his face. "I'm serious though Dad, thanks for everything."

Benny felt his heart sink. He put his hand on boy's shoulder and nodded. "Anytime. Here, why don't you get something to eat while I pay for the clothes?"

He nodded and walked off towards the food court. Benny stood in line and sighed as he listened to the conversations happening around him.

"_Can you believe the prices they charge for the tickets to London Eye? I mean seriously it's a total tourist trap."_

"_Yeah and then he said 'get out'. You think I left without my dog, nope. I put up a fight and I made sure Puffles came with me."_

"_Yeah my brother's been humming it all the time. 'Late last night and the night before, they came knocking at the door'. So stupid."_

"Excuse me sir?" Benny snapped back to reality when he noticed the older gentleman behind the counter giving him a smile. "Your purchases?"

"Oh here." He placed the clothes on the counter.

"Not from around here huh?"

"You can tell?"

"London is full of tourists this time of year," said the old man as he rung up the clothing. "My advice is to stay out of the street at night." He peered above his glasses his blue eyes meeting Benny's green. "There have been vandals running around, I don't remember much about what I read but they've been making a mess of things every night. Best to stay indoors."

"Thanks Mr.…." He peered at the name tag. "Ericson."

"Names Alec, Alec Ericson." He extended his hand and Benny shook it.

"Names Benny Weir," something felt off. "Thanks for the advice."

"I only say that because I saw you had a young one of your own." He motioned in the direction of the food court and Benny stared at him. There's no way anyone could've known Eric was his son, a brother maybe, but not a son. He studied the only man closely. Brown hair that was turning white with age, soft blue eyes, and almost familiar name. Nothing really out of the ordinary. "Take care now."

"Thanks," said Benny as he headed towards the food court. He caught sight of the arcade game as he headed out and frowned. The crack on the screen was gone.

* * *

When they got back to the hotel room he noted that Erica hadn't called or returned. With a sighed he laid on the bed as Eric went through his new shirts, pants and shorts. He pulled off the worn green shirt he was wearing and when he did Benny noticed something odd about his son's back.

"What's that?" asked the Spellmaster as he sat up.

"What's what?" asked Eric as he tried to look over his shoulder. "Is there something on there?"

"Come here," said Benny. When he did his mouth fell open. A pair of Native American designed wings were tattooed on his son's back. "Are... are these tattoos?"

"Huh? Oh yeah, they were a gift."

"From who? What kind of idiot get a kid tattoos as a gift?"

"You," said Eric as he slid on his shirt. "You gave them to me for my third birthday."

"Your nickname," said Benny as he rubbed his face. "Icarus... it makes sense now…." He turned white as another realization hit him. "Oh god…. ok, here's the plan. Don't tell Erica. If your Mom finds out I let you get tattoos she's gonna kill me."

"Who am I gonna kill?" asked Erica as she stepped into the hotel room. She crossed her arms and looked from Benny to Eric. "What did you guys do now?"

"Nothing!" said Benny as he held up his hands defensively. "We just got clothes and some lunch, and maybe we might have skipped the trying on part because the lines were too long."

Erica rolled her eyes. "As long as we can return whatever doesn't fit I don't care."

"Any luck with Ethan and Sarah's apartment?"

"Is Uncle Ethan and Aunt Sarah ok?" asked Eric suddenly as he looked at her. "Did something happen?"

"I don't know," answered Erica honestly, Eric looked away from her and sat on one of the beds. "The apartment was locked and when I asked around no one had seen them for a couple of days. Get this though apparently Ethan drives-"

"Then how did Sarah call us?" asked Benny as he looked at his phone. "It says it came from her apartment, that doesn't make any sense."

"I don't know."

"I hope they're ok," whispered Eric softly. "There were always there for me… especially after dad-" He stopped and his eyes widened as if he said the wrong thing.

"After I what?" asked Benny as he sat up. "What happened?"

"N-nothing."

"Eric you can tell us anything," said Erica as she squatted down in front of him. He turned away from her. "If it has to do with where you came from then maybe it's better that we know."

He looked over at Benny who nodded. Eric bit his lip and nodded. "Where I came from I lived with Aunt Sarah and Uncle Ethan."

"Why?" asked Benny suddenly very worried. "What about Grandma?"

"Or my parents?" asked Erica in the same tone.

"Grandma died a year after I was born, and Mom you left when I turned three so I never met my grandparents." He looked up at Benny sadly tears welling up in his eyes. "And Dad... Dad you died after I turned five."

* * *

A/N: Trust me things will be answered in the next chapter. If you've read some of my other stories (such as 'A Very Whitechapel Christmas', and 'The Spellmaster's Mother' and even 'SaraharaS') you'll realize that there are some hints as to what's going on in this one! Until next time then! And please don't forget to leave a review.


	3. To the Rescue

A/N: The balance of action, mystery, and character in this story is something that I'm trying to find the perfect mix of. I feel as though I hit the nail on the head with this chapter! Updates should be faster now that 'Spellmaster's Mother' is finished. Now, enjoy and don't forget to read the A/N at the bottom!

* * *

Benny's Son

By Takarifan101

Chapter Three: To the Rescue

Dead…. The single word transformed the relaxing and welcoming atmosphere of the hotel room into something cold and oppressive. A heavy silence fell over both Benny and Erica as each struggled to come to terms with the tale they had just heard. Eric looked up at his father, sniffled, and then burst into tears as he recalled the funeral from so long ago. Erica reached out to comfort him only to stop when the teenager flinched away from her. Unconsciously Benny put his arm around the boy and snapped back to reality when Erica walked across the room with a distraught look on her face.

Eric continued to cry against his shoulder, and little by little the sobs turned into measured breathes as he drifted off into a restless sleep. Benny lay him down on the bed, and pulled the covers over him. He turned and saw Erica had situated herself at the small table with her arms crossed and eyes downcast. He took a seat across from her and waited. After a few moments of silence she finally looked up, and when she did it was with a look of defeat.

"When we were together, I used to imagine our future and what we would do when we brought Eric back…. I figured we'd be past all the drama, especially the way everything went down in high school. But…" A tear fell against the wooden table and Benny realized she was crying. "No wonder he hates me, I left him behind, I left our son behind!"

"He... he doesn't hate you," said Benny as he thought about his own relationship with his parents. His mother had died when he was young, and his dad unable to deal with the grief had taken to traveling for work. Luckily his Grandma had been there for him, something that Eric it seemed, had been denied. In those days from long ago he had hated his mom for dying, hated his dad for running away, and most all hated himself for being too inadequate a son to keep his family together. He reached out for Erica's hand and stopped. She didn't need to hear about that right now, not while she was struggling to deal with Eric's disdain for her. She took his hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. Benny felt his heart race as the memories of their break up flashed through his mind. Why did Weir boys always hurt the ones they cared about most? Fighting against his desire to hold her, and to kiss her, he sat back in his chair and whispered: "He just doesn't know how to trust you. You and I both know you would never leave him, but he doesn't know that yet. And he's gonna need time before he understands."

"Is this going to be our future?" asked Erica, as she locked eyes with him. Worry spread across her face and she suddenly squeezed his hand tight. "You're going to die. Oh my god, Benny you're going to die."

"This isn't our future." He needed to be rational, now more than ever. He gently freed himself for her grasp. "I told you last night time travel doesn't exist."

"Would you stop saying that!" Hissed Erica as she slammed her fists down on the table causing both Benny to flinch and Eric stir. When her son let out a moan she collapsed back into her chair and continued her voice barely above a whisper. "Eric is here, and that means there has to be some kind of truth to what he's saying."

"I don't know where Eric came from but he's not from the future. Think about it like this: I couldn't bring him back, and if I couldn't bring him back then whatever was supposed to happen won't. That line of events, his line of events, can't happen now. This is why time travel is impossible, it just too dangerous."

Erica said nothing and together with Benny they looked over at the sleeping teenager. Outside the the sun slowly began to set, bathing the world in a golden orange hue. On instinct Benny checked his phone for a message and frowned when he saw nothing from either Sarah or Ethan. Another day without word from his friends...

"It's getting late," whispered Benny as he turned away from the wondrous sight of twilight and slowly got up. "I don't know about you but I'm tired of hotel food." Erica grunted in response. "I saw a little bakery down the street, how about I go pick something up?"

"Fine," said Erica emotionlessly as she continued to stare at their son. With a dismissive shrug Benny headed for the door, and stopped when he heard her mumble: "Be careful."

Without responding he grabbed his jacket and left the hotel room. As he walked down the stairs he thought about everything Eric had told them. He was going to die… but was he really? Eric couldn't be from the future, of that much he was certain, but then that begged the question: where did he come from? He exited the confines of the hotel and took in a deep breath as the crisp evening air surrounded him. He thought about shopping earlier, and the boy's guarded attitude. He wanted to believe Eric was his son, all the signs were there, but could he? Was it it even a possibility he wasn't? But the smile, the necklace and the birthmark…. He let out a frustrated growl, there were too many questions and far from enough answers.

* * *

"N-no!" screamed Eric loudly as he thrashed about wildly in the bed. Erica looked up from the article about missing kids she reading and ran over to the boy as he shot up and looked around the room with terror in his eyes. "NO!"

"It's ok," whispered Erica as she sat next to him and pulled him into a hug. "It's ok, it's ok." He turned and twisted in her arms. "Everything's ok now Eric." When he heard his name he began to calm down. Once she was sure the fit of terror was over she scooted backwards and took in his pale complexion. "What happened?"

"Nightmare," whispered the boy sheepishly as he leaned against her and looked down. "A really bad one."

"It's over now, you're awake." She rubbed his back. "It can't hurt you anymore."

"But it can… the nightmares are always there, always the same," mumbled Eric as he looked up at her. When they locked eyes he pulled away and said: "Never mind."

"Eric," whispered Erica as she felt his sadness resound throughout her. It was clear he didn't trust her, and what made it worse was the fact that she could understand why. A mother who turned her back on a child, was in her eyes unfit to call herself a mother. She wanted her son to know that she would always be there, that nothing would ever get between her family. But like Benny had said, it would take time for him to see that. She summoned all her feelings forward and put them into words.

"I want you to know that no matter what happens I'm not going to leave you. Your mom, this other Erica, isn't me and it never will be." She felt tears well up in her eyes as she thought about the problems she and Benny had gone through during her senior year. "I went through so much pain when I lost you the first time. When your father found out we could bring you back we talked for days about when we would. We both knew you mattered to us, and we refused to even think about it unless we knew we could take care of and raise you properly. I could never give you up, not after everything that happened."

"But you did," managed Eric weakly as he finally looked up to meet her eyes. "You didn't even tell Dad or me why, you just… left. Even Uncle Ethan and Aunt Sarah didn't know why. You just disappeared, and when Dad went to ask your family…. They didn't even talk to him."

Erica pulled him into her arms and held him tight. She whispered: "That will never happen to you again. Both your dad and I will always be there for you."

"You promise?" asked the boy in a childlike voice. "You'll never leave?"

"I promise. You're my son, and you're the only one I'm ever gonna set, so you better believe I'm going to be a part of your life. I know you may not trust me now but I'm going to prove it, just you wait and see."

"Thanks… Mom," said Eric shyly as he returned the hug. "It's weird I never had a mom and dad, I mean I did but I never knew them um... you. I had Aunt Sarah and Uncle Ethan but they're not the same… I know they care about me but… it's-"

"It's not the same, ask your Dad, his mom died when he was young and his dad is always traveling for business. I've only ever met him once."

"Really?"

"Yeah if anyone would understand you it's definitely him. But enough of this dwelling in the past, and focusing on the sad. I want to know more about you. You said your starting high school, and what about girls? Have you had your first kiss yet? Never mind, you don't need to tell me. I forgot to ask about your powers, your around the right age for them to start manifesting, has anything happened yet?"

"I'm... I'm not a Spellmaster," said Eric with a frown as he got up and stretched. "Uncle Ethan told me that it was still early for my powers to be appear…. But after Dad died Aunt Sarah found some old artifacts that were supposed to glow if you could use magic. When I touched it… it didn't."

"You could still get them. Benny didn't get his until he was fifteen and he wasn't really good with them until he was sixteen and even then it was still pretty scary."

"Trust me I heard the stories," they exchanged a knowing look and burst out into laughter. Eric walked the length of the room before suddenly turning to her. "I just… I want to be like Dad. He was always the coolest growing up, and he would use his magic to do some of the most amazing things." His face lit up as he continued to talk. "He could make bubbles freeze over but still have them float, and on rainy days he would turn the marshmallows in my hot chocolate into little ducks that would swim around, and one time he even gave me these really cool-" He motioned to his back and stopped before shaking his head. "He was just the coolest, and the entire time I was growing up I would think all the neat things I would do, and how I wanted to be just like him…. I imagined myself as the best dad... But I can't now because I'm not a Spellmaster."

"It's ok," said Erica with a smile as she thought about her own insecurities growing up. "You don't have to be a Spellmaster to be a good dad. And the fact your thinking about that so young is a sure sign you'll be fine. But don't you dare think for a moment we'll be ok with you getting a girl pregnant before your married or done with school, and by school I mean college."

"Yes Mom…." He had turned a bright red color. After a second he added: "Are you sure Dad won't mind?"

"About you not having powers?"

"Yeah, what if doesn't like me because of that? Or if that's one of the reasons you left? Or maybe it makes him leave and you stay and then everything changes because-"

"He'll be fine," said Erica as she watched him pace back and forth. "The fact that you're here and healthy is all that really matters to Benny and I."

"I always blamed myself for everything that happened. I mean I know I didn't make you leave or make Dad die but I always blamed myself for everything. That maybe if I had been a better son-"

"Don't you ever think that," said Erica sternly as she placed her hands on his shoulders. "Whatever happened wasn't your fault, and I don't want you thinking it was, ok?"

"Yeah…. Thanks for listening Mom, it means a lot to me. I didn't know how to tell Uncle Ethan or Aunt Sarah how I felt…. All these feelings have been there for as long as I can remember and it just... it's nice to be able to finally tell someone."

Erica got up and placed a kiss on the top of his head. "That's what mom's are for." His stomach growled and he gave her a lopsided grin. "Don't worry," managed Erica through her laughter. "Benny will be back with food in a few minutes."

* * *

Benny looked up at the night sky and frowned. He hadn't meant to go so far looking for food, but when his mind wandered so did he. He balanced the bag of pastries in his arms and watched as the streetlights came on one by one. The old man's warning reverberated through his mind and an odd sense of worry overcame him. He quickened his pace before letting out a laugh; he was Benny Weir, a Spellmaster, why should he be afraid of some vandals? He wasn't an ordinary person and whoever dared to attack him would certainly be in for a surprise.

His thoughts wandered again and eventually went back to Eric. His son claimed he had no recollection of the events leading to his sudden appearance but that didn't mean that the memories weren't there. Benny was willing to bet anything they were locked deep within the boy's mind, and if so then who better to find them than Ethan? With his friend's telepathy it would easy to figure what was really happening, and not only that but E was great when it came to solving strange puzzles such as these.

"Maybe he's from another dimension," mumbled Benny with a laugh as he felt his stomach growl. He looked at the bag and turned his head, it wouldn't be a good idea to eat the food before he got it back to the room, especially if Erica was hungry. He noticed the lack of people around him and felt the strange worry return. For the most part he was alone, outside, at night, in the middle of London, during summer…. Something definitely wasn't right. He quickened his pace, and noticed that several of the stores had closed early. He watched as a boy ran past him towards the apartments further down the street.

"Hey kid," called Benny as he walked towards trying to keep the food balanced. "What's going on, where is everyone?"

"It's not safe to be out at night," answered the boy as he looked around. "Haven't you head?"

"Heard what?"

"The knocking." When it became clear he had no idea what that meant, the boy continued. "'_Late last night and the night before, they came knocking at the door.'_"

In the far alley Benny caught sight of a shadow as it moved about. All at once the card in his back pocket began to heat up and as it did the boy eye's widened in fear. He ran as fast as he could leaving the Spellmaster alone with the approaching shadow.

"Whoever's out there," said Benny aloud as he held the bag tight and thought of his attack spells. "You don't want to fight with me. I can guarantee you'll get hurt."

No responses but more movement. In the darkened street next to him another figure emerged, and as it did several more stepped forth from the alleyways. Whoever they were they had him surrounded. Little by little they closed the distance and and Benny began to recite the first spell that came to mind.

The closest one spread out its arms and he let the bag fall from his hands. Whatever it was, it definitely wasn't human.

* * *

"It's so beautiful outside," whispered Erica as she peered at the lights of vast city in front of her. It was something to see it in the daylight, but at night? She let out a sigh as she thought about the warm summer nights she and Benny had spent together, and the kisses they had shared. But now, now it was just a memory that was better left forgotten.

"Is this really where Aunt Sarah and Uncle Ethan live?" asked Eric as he joined her on the balcony. "They always told me they had lived in Whitechapel for all their lives."

Erica frowned, another inconsistency in Eric's story and their current lives. If Ethan and Sarah had never lived in London then what did that mean? There was a cool breeze and Eric shivered before heading back into the room. Erica leaned on the rail and watched as the cars drove down below, what she wouldn't give to live in a city like this. She smiled and thought, with the just the slightest hint of jealousy, of how Ethan and Sarah had one of the most romantic cities as their playground. With dreamy eyes she stared at the London Eye and felt the anticipation of riding with her family in the following days.

Another breeze tickled her body and she felt her vampire sense suddenly flare up. She peered over the edge of the balcony; cars, less people outside than normal, but nothing really out of the ordinary. So why was her sense suddenly picking something up?

"Mom," whispered Eric as he poked his head out from inside the hotel room. "Why don't you come in?"

"Why?" asked Erica as she continued to look for the source of her discomfort. "Is something wrong?"

"I just have this-"

Before he could finish Erica let out a scream and stumbled backwards as a large bird like creature landed on the rail. It looked at her with its large white eyes and began to tilt its head from side to side. Erica blindly backed away as the creature continued to examine her. She heard Eric squeak behind her as he caught sight of the human sized owl. Without looking she made a motion for him to be quiet. Slowly as possible she backed into the room, and slid the glass door shut.

"What is that?" asked Eric as he approached the window to get a better view of the monster. "I've never seen anything like that before."

"I-I don't know," answered Erica as the beast stared at them. Its head continued to tilt back and forth like it was trying to understand. The beak opened and a small black tongue appeared. The motion and creatures actions began to unnerve her. Eric placed a hand against the glass and she reached out for him: "Get away from there."

"M-mom," stuttered Eric as he continued to gaze outside. Two more monsters landed on the railing and another on the balcony. "There's more of them…" Several began to crawl up from the edges. "A lot more of them."

Erica wrapped her arms around Eric as dozens upon dozens of the creatures began to appear. They were in the air, on the rial, on the balcony. She heard several crashes, and tightened her grip on her son when the power went out. Outside the large glowing eyes could be seen floating and rocking about in the otherwise dark night.

"What do we do? Why are they here?" asked Eric hypnotized by the sight before them. When his mom didn't answer he cast his gaze downwards. His dark hair fell over his eyes and he mumbled: "They're here to hurt us aren't they?"

"I don't know," whispered Erica honestly as looked down at her son. She noted his sudden change in demeanor: was he worried or scared or something else? "But I'll keep you safe."

"No one," said Eric as the tattoos on his back began to burn. He looked up with a fire in his eyes. "No one is going to hurt my family."

The balcony window exploded inwards and Erica reacting on instinct threw her son to the side before catching the monsters beak with her hands. She turned towards him and screamed: "Run!"

She watched from the corner of her eye as the boy scrambled to his feet and ran. Using all her strength she kicked the monster backwards. Two more lunged. Erica caught one and watched as the other opened its beak wide. The blonde vampire turned away awaiting the attack. When she heard it wail in pain she looked back in enough time to catch the beast as it stumbled backwards in agony.

"Sorry Mom," said Eric as he held the reminder of the broken coffee pot in hand. The markings on his back felt heavy, and unlike anything he had experienced before. "I know you told me to run but I'm not gonna leave you with these things."

"You're so much like your father," hissed Erica as she twisted her arms and shoved the creature backwards out of the window. Another charged at her and stumbled sideways, as Eric slammed the beside lamp against its head. Before she could comment the boy shoved it into the eye of the nearest monster, and smiled as it backed away with screech of pain.

"What?" Asked Eric with a sly grin. "Did you really think Aunt Sarah and Uncle Ethan didn't teach me how to fight?"

Several more of the monsters entered the room and the two of them backed away in fear. They were outnumbered. Behind them the door burst open, and expecting more of the owls Erica bared her fangs. Instead a silhouetted figured entered and yelled:

"Get down!" She grabbed Eric and pulled him to the ground. A flash of red light filled the room causing the monsters to retreat out of the broken window. Erica looked up to face her savior and felt a strange lightness overcome her. The long auburn hair, the glowing golden eyes, and the glistening white fangs. It wasn't possible.

"Hey," said Sarah as she lowered the strange device in her hands. She smiled. "Long time no see."

* * *

Benny watched as the monster extended it wings revealing its large unblinking eyes, and sharp black beak. He summoned a fireball and using all the strength he could muster threw it. The monster caught it in its mouth and swallowed it whole. He tried ice, lightning, and wind only to have each spell eaten by the mysterious beast.

"Magic won't work," thought Benny as he continued to back away. He caught more movement and looked up, the creatures were flying around the air and crawling across the faces of the buildings. He backed into a doorway and felt his heart sink as the owl like monsters began to close in.

The closest one opened its beak and let out a piercing screech. All around the others answered with the same call. Benny covered his ears, and watched as the glass on the nearest street lights suddenly exploded. Then all at once it stopped. The owls were all focused on him, an endless sea of large glowing orbs. The sound of a revving engine broke the illusion, and Benny watched in disbelief as a motorcycle cut through the group of monsters.

"Close your eyes!" Screamed the rider as he held up a strange flashlight like object. Benny turned away and felt a flash of warmth against his skin. The monsters howled in pain, when he opened them they were fleeing in all directions. The rider turned to face him and asked: "Where's Erica?"

"A-At the hotel," managed Benny trying to understand what was happening in front of him. "She's with Eric!"

"You brought a baby into a battlefield? Damn," the man raised a hand to his helmet, and then added: "Did you hear that?"

Benny wasn't sure whom the stranger was talking to, and before he could respond a static voice suddenly answered. "Don't worry I've got them, we'll meet up at the apartment. Be careful Ethan."

That caught his attention. His mouth fell open as the realization dawned on him. "E?"

The man pulled off his helmet and Benny felt the world spin around him. It was Ethan, but more than that it was his brother. He pulled him into a hug and when they separated he took in his friend for the first time. Longer hair with a few strands covering one of his eyes, a mischievous smile, and of course the black leather jacket and motorcycle were definitely new. Despite the differences he was definitely the same man he had dropped off at the airport little over a year ago.

"It's good to see you again B," said Ethan with a huge grin. "But we don't have time to talk right now. The Red-Light will only keep the Ahools away for a few minutes. I'll explain more on the way."

"On the way where?"

"To our apartment," he tossed Benny an earpiece. "This will help you communicate with Sarah and I, now get on."

Benny too dazed to argue nodded, put in his earpiece and threw his leg across the bike. The moment he did the engine revved to life. Ethan donned the black helmet and said: "Hold on tight."

Benny wrapped his arms around the young man and the next thing he knew they were racing through the alleys and back streets of London. He felt a strange sense of exhilaration and fear as the bike moved skillfully around obstacles.

"When the hell did you start riding a motorcycle!" demanded Benny as he tightened his grip on Ethan. An instant later the alleyways were gone and they speeding among the city's nighttime traffic. "And what were these things?"

"It's been a crazy year," yelled Ethan with a laugh as he cut in front of a car. "They're called Ahools, we found information about them in the Creature Compendium written by one of your ancestors."

"One of my ancestors?"

"Yeah someone by the name E. Icarus Weir." Before Benny could ask anymore questions a loud screech filled the air. All around glass exploded and Ethan let out a curse as he swerved to avoid being hit. He pulled the bike up on a sidewalk and removed his helmet for a better view of the sky above. "Oh my god."

"What do we do?" asked Benny unable to tear his eyes away from the sight. He thought about Erica and Eric and clenched his fists. "How do we fight them?"

"We don't," said Ethan as put the helmet back on and started the motorcycle up. "For now we run."

They zoomed through the traffic, and Benny turned to cast one final look over his shoulder. In the skies far above London thousands of Ahools flew about before descending upon the duo.

* * *

A/N: How's that for a cliffhanger? Anwways I'm glad I had a chance to get some serious character development in here for Eric (I hope this help explains his actions from the previous chapters), and the more than welcome return of Ethan and Sarah! There were more hints about the over arcing plot of the story (hint there's four major ones)! Next chapter will shed light on the mystery of the Ahools! Don't forget to leave a review! (and feel free to speculate on what might happen next). For now take care!


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